Fight or Flight

Image Credit: static.independent.co.uk

Survival ...

From my website: www.kyusho.com

Under extreme conditions or situations, certain physiological tendencies occur and manifest in direct relation to an individuals ability to respond correctly. This physiological response is called "Fight or Flight" and basically directs either your brain or your body to respond to handle the issue or to run from it.

The basics:

When presented with sudden or extreme threat, two fundamental body systems work simultaneously to give you the best possible chance of survival, this is largely out of your control and is an autonomic function... as an example; the biggest toughest guy in the bar may turn and run, the tiny young bar tender may not, 90% of what happens is decided by your personal internal physiology.

In time of stress, your sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system react at the first sign of a serious threat. If the threat persists for longer than a few more seconds both systems kick into high gear and adrenaline (epinepherine), noradrenaline (norepinepherine) and a couple dozen other hormones flood the body and the fight or flight response is triggered:

• Pupils dilate to take in as much light as possible
• Blood-glucose levels increase
• Veins in the skin contract allowing extra blood flow to the muscles
• Smooth muscle relaxes to allow extra oxygen for the lungs
• Heart rate increases
• Blood pressure increases
• Non-essential systems shut down (digestion for example)
• The only focus is the task in hand
• It is your reaction to this flood of chemicals that decides what happens next...

The first, often vital seconds can be wasted whilst your body decides what to do, which option will give you the best chance of survival. Your brain is processing information much faster than usual and increasing or decreasing the levels as the situation dictates. Running for your life or staying to fight is not at this point entirely under your own control, though the 10% of you not being guided by this chemical battle will have a bearing on the final outcome. If you have thought through the likely scenarios, and come to a conclusion, you will not be wasting time working out what to do.

The Psychology Basics

Highly trained individuals are much more able to overcome the flight part of the response and stand their ground and fight. Equally, in a hopeless situation they’re training allows them to make the decision to retreat faster than the average person would. This should never be construed as cowardice, it is simply a tactical withdrawal that leaves them alive to fight another day. Learning both is of course essential and the best way to escape must also be trained. Of course this depends on the environment and also the tools and targets you have trained... as well as the stress levels you have endured.

This film is a start on this concept and the women here are on their first self protection course... they are first given a few simple targets, drilled on striking well and correctly, gotten past the fear or reluctance to strike another person, gotten past the fear that they have no chance. Then we challenge these perceptions and skills in a realistic environment, working with peripheral vision, auditory realization, as well as many other aspects.

Some people that were less fortunate or live in rough environments all possess the ability to make decisions faster than the average person. Those used to living on their wits will cope better in flight or fight situations than the average man simply because they have been in similar situations more often than Mr Average. Their most common reaction though is to fight, even when if they’d listened to the 10% of their brain not being controlled they would have realized it is unwise to do so.

So do you fight or run, or a combination of both? It’s this that marks the difference between gangs and highly trained individuals…those who are well trained know when to retreat for tactical reasons, gangs do it out of fear, and it’s this fear that can buy you time and make a hell of a difference to the outcome of a confrontation. The urge to do one or the other is almost overwhelming in dire or urgent situations, but sometimes you have to go with the 10% of you that isn’t under the control of biochemicals coursing around your body. Attackers are always emboldened and believe they have the advantage, this makes them dumb, and relatively easy pickings for someone who is thinking tactically and has prepared. Anything you can do to put these people on the back foot is to your advantage. Hidden tanglefoot, or even a board with nails whacked through becomes invisible at night, the prime time for attacks.

The training to know when to fight and when to take flight has given you a couple of distinct advantages:

• You will be mentally calmer and therefore thinking more clearly.
• You know something they don’t, the basis of tactical warfare for centuries.
• You will be more in control if the situation deteriorates into one that requires direct confrontation.
• They will be confused at coming across your instant response, this can cause loss of concentration and hesitation on their part.
• Giving yourself time to listen to the 10% of your brain under your control can simply save your life.

Good Health - Evan Pantazi